College basketball: Catching up with the speculation on FGCU men's coach Joe Dooley

As was the case after each of his previous four seasons, Florida Gulf Coast University men's basketball coach Joe Dooley's name has been involved in the speculation of available openings since before the Eagles were upset in the Atlantic Sun Tournament final and then lost at Oklahoma State in the NIT first round.

After that surprising and disappointing 23-12 end to what was expected to be a slam-dunk season, the chatter died down a bit on the 52-year-old Dooley.

But the most logical move remains a possibility and perhaps a very strong one. 

East Carolina -- where Dooley coached from 1995-99 -- still is looking for the right replacement for eight-season coach Jeff Lebo, who resigned six games into last season.  

Dooley appeared to be the strong front-runner from the get-go and there were even whispers that he and Pirates athletic director Jeff Compher were working out budgetary details as a deal drew near. But ECU bought out Compher's contract -- effective May 1 -- mostly because of problems with the football program. He's no longer involved in the search for a new basketball coach.

A member of the American Athletic Conference, East Carolina has hired its former athletic director, Dave Hart, as a special adviser. Hart began that in earnest on Monday. A source close to the situation in Greenville, North Carolina, where ECU is located, said it appears the decision on the new basketball hire will be solely Hart's. And it likely will not come until after the Final Four which finishes with the championship game on April 2.

Hart -- who retired as Tennessee's athletic director last year -- had taken over at Florida State when Dooley was hired as ECU's coach. Interim ECU athletic director Henry Van Sant tabbed Dooley, who had been an ECU assistant under Eddie Payne, after Payne left for Oregon State.

Basketball: Update on FGCU men's coach rumors

Dooley's 57-52 record in four seasons there still is the Pirates' best for a coach as a Division I program. That was Dooley's only previous head coaching stint before taking over at FGCU right after the Eagles went to the Sweet 16 and coach Andy Enfield left for USC. 

Then-new ECU athletic director Mike Hamrick fired Dooley. It was a controversial decision.

According to Hoistthecolors.com, Dooley -- whose parents live in the Greenville area -- and ECU had a deal in place with then-Pirates AD Terry Holland in 2010, but it fell through. Holland is ECU's emeritus AD. 

On Monday, Ronnie Woodward of the Greenville Daily Reflector wrote: "The Daily Reflector already reported there has been mutual interest between East Carolina and Dooley since the Pirates’ season ended under interim coach Michael Perry in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament on March 8."

Lebo's base salary was $500,000, but sources close to the situation in Greenville believe ECU can and probably will offer the next coach quite a bit more. 

Dooley's FGCU salary is $350,000. It was just $225,000 when he began. 

Dooley is 114-57 at FGCU and has taken the Eagles to the postseason -- including two NCAA tournament trips -- every year after spending a decade as an assistant for Bill Self at Kansas. Dooley has continually refused to comment on any speculation about other jobs.

Eye on the Eagles: Dooley didn't come close to leaving

He interviewed for the Wright State job and reportedly interviewed for the St. Louis opening in 2016. Last year he interviewed with New Mexico and UNC Wilmington.

FGCU athletic director Ken Kavanagh said Wednesday that no athletic director had contacted him seeking permission to speak with Dooley about a job. That protocol, though, isn't as important as it used to be as go-betweens generally are used. 

Other reported ECU candidates are Maryland-Baltimore County coach Ryan Odom, former North Carolina State and current Windy City Bulls assistant Bobby Lutz, and Tennessee assistant Rob Lanier, who has a connection with Hart from their Volunteers days. 

Odom is the son of former ECU coach Dave Odom and just completed his second season with the Retrievers. He led UMBC to the NCAA tournament's first-ever 16 seed win against a top seed when the Retrievers beat Virginia before losing to Kansas State in the second round. UMBC is working on a raise and extension for Odom. 

Dooley's name was bandied about in connection with the UTEP opening before the Miners hired Fresno State's Rodney Terry on March 12. 

Missouri State also seemed a possibility, but Tennessee State coach Dana Ford snagged that job Wednesday night. 

Eye on the Eagles: Dooley didn't come close to leaving

Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley accepted an offer from UConn on Wednesday according to multiple reports. It's quite likely that Dooley, who is originally from New Jersey, would be interested in the Rhode Island job.

Rhode Island hammered FGCU, 80-60, in Kingston this past season. 

It's also possible that Dooley is interested in the Middle Tennessee State opening although his name hasn't been publicly linked to the search for Kermit Davis' replacement. Davis took over at Ole Miss on Monday.

MTSU swept FGCU last season in a pair of nonconference games.